Children see porn and gambling adverts online

Targeted: Children are exposed to online adverts for gambling and pornography

Children as young as seven are being targeted with online advertisements for gambling and pornography.

A study by the National Consumer Council found the websites most popular with seven- to 16-year-olds were for gaming, dating and shopping.

A quarter of the adverts on these sites had adult content, such as gambling and dating services, and almost the same proportion were integrated into the content.

The Fair Game study also found 73 per cent of the adverts were not even labelled as such. "To some extent the internet is still a cowboy republic," said the council's chief executive Ed Mayo.

"Children are spending a significant proportion of their time online and they are being exposed to a lot of advertisements they simply do not feel comfortable with.

"We found everything from invitations to place free bets to soft pornography being shown. We spoke to children who said they felt uncomfortable viewing these ads and something has to be done.

"We already have a system in place for controlling TV advertising to children and that needs to apply online. The Advertising Standards Authority does a good job but it needs more powers to work online."

Mr Mayo also called for the Government's information officer to be given more powers to monitor and control advertising.

Dr Agnes Nairn, a lecturer in marketing, said: "Our concern is parents are not aware of the pervasive and often covert format and content of some advertising found on sites popular with children.

"Children are quite savvy in this area but in many cases cannot distinguish content from commerce and so can't make informed choices."

Will Gardner of the Childnet agency said: "It is vital we keep pace with the online environment, which children increasingly seeing as their 'home', to ensure they are not taken advantage of and are adequately protected."